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Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Review: UnLunDun by China Melville

Synopsis

‘UnLondon is at war. We’re
under attack. And it’s been written, for centuries, that you – you – will come
and save us.’

Stumbling through a secret entrance, Zanna and Deeba emerge in the strange
wonderland of UnLondon. Here all the lost and broken things of London end up,
and some of its people, too – including Brokkenbroll, boss of the broken
umbrellas and Hemi the half-ghost boy. UnLondon is a place where Routemaster
buses have legs, where Librarians are ‘bookaneers’, intrepid adventurers
dedicated to hunting down lost books, and postmen spend years tracking the
mobile addresses of the ever changing Puzzleborough. But the girls have arrived
at a dangerous time – UnLondon is under siege by the sinister Smog; it’s a city
awaiting its hero.

China makes extraordinary use of the ordinary is this wildly inventive fantasy
adventure. (From Goodreads)

Review

UnLunDun or 'UnLondon,' is a young adult fantasy named after the alternate realm where the book is set. I read this book because my niece told me that “I had to read it!” All the while I was reading she would come up to me every few hours and hover over my shoulder saying, “what part are you on?” “couldn’t you just die?” “and then he... and isn’t it so amazing?” That alone would make me give this book five stars seeing the excitement and joy from her but the book also stands on its own.
Un Lun Dun is a fabulous, fast-paced story of an unexpected hero who comes into her own. It’s filled with loveable yet strange characters who take you on a journey of discovery and adventure where you meet even stranger characters and situations. The main characters compassion and genuine concern for those around her gives her the ability to problem-solve in unique and practical ways, showing that sometime the best solution is usually the simplest.

The writing is impeccable and the languaging flows so well that you are fully engulfed in the book. I was quite surprised several times when I looked up and was not in UnLondon.

My rating on this book is five stars, definitely one that is not to be missed.